The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-09-22
How TO TREAT COMPANY.
Discourse by the Rev. DR.. Talmage at
the Hamptons.

pitality-1he Toll and Expense OF Exer-
cising It-A Pretty Custom Among the
Greeks.
The HAMPToNs, Sept. 1.-THE Rev.
DR.. t. De Witt Talmages text to-day was
from Romans xii, 13: "Given to hospital
ity;" and his discourse was as follows:
There is danger that the multiplication
of large and cOmmodious hotels in our
towns and cities and villages will utterly
exterminate that grace which Abraham eX-
hibited when he entertained the angels, and
which Lot showed when he watched for
guests at the gate of the city, and which
Christ recognized as q positive requisite
for entering Heaven when He declared:
Il was II stranger and ys took me in"
propose to speak this morning OF the
trials and rewards of Christian hospitality.
The first tlial often comes in the whim and
eccentricity of the guest himself. There
are great many excellent people who have
protuberances of disposition and sharp
edges of temperament, and unp.iability OF
character, which make them positive
nuisance in any house where they stay. On
short acquaintance they will begin to COM
mund the household afA.rs, order tie em-
ployes TO unusual services, keep unseason-
able hours, use narcotics in paces offensive
to sensitive noslIils, Put their feet at I'M
usual elevations, drop the ashes of their
Havana ON costly tapestry, open bureaus
they ought never TO touch, and pry into
things they ou- 1t never o see, and become
impervious to rousng bells, and hive all
the peculiarities of the Gormnndi2er or the
dygpeulic, and make excavations rom poor
dentistry with unusual impimenis, and in
It thousand ways attict the household which
proposes to take care of them. Added TO
all, they stay too long. hev have no idea
when their welcome is worn out, and hey
would e unmoved even by the blessing
which my friend Geirit smith, the philan-
thropist, asked one morning at his break
fast table, on tie day when he hoped that
the long pl o,racted guests would depart,
saving: 30 Lord, bless this provision and
our friends who leave MS to-day" But, my
friends, there ARE alterations to be put on
their side of the scale. Perhaps they have
not had the same etning Influences about
III, IN in early HE that you have had. Ter
haps they have inherited eccentricIies that
they cannot help. Perhaps it is your duty,
by example, to show hem n better way.
Perhaps they are sent TO lie trial for the
development of your patience. Perhaps
they were TO be Intended rs an Illustration
of the opposite OF what You are trying to
inculcale in the minds OF your chi dren.
Perhaps it is to make your home the
brighter when they are gone. When our
guests are CHEEKY and fascinating and ele-
giant it is very easy to entertain them; but
when we find in our guests that which is
antagonistic to our tase and sentiment, it
is n positive triumph when we can obey the
words Of my text, and be given to hos
pitality."
Another trial in the using of this grace
is in the toll and expense of exercising it.
In the well-Iegulated household things 80
smoothly, but now you have introduced u
foreign element into tie machinery, and
though you may stOutly declare that they
must take things as they find them, the
Martha will break in. he ungOvernable
stove; the ruined dessert; the Joint that
proves to lie unmast cable; the delayed
marketing; the perpeXities of a caterer; the
difficulty of doing proper work, and yet
always being presentable. though you
may say there shall be no care or anxiety,
there will be care and there will be anxiety.
In 1894 the captain general provided a very
grand entertainment, and among other
things he had fountain in his garden-a
fountain OF strong drink. In it were four
hogsheads of brandy, e ght hogsheads of
water, 2J,0jO lemons, thirteen hundred
weight of Lisl on sugar, i've pounds of
grated nutmeg, oUO toasted biscuit, and a
boat bul,t on purrose was placed in the
fountain and n bov 1owed around it and
flied the Guns of the reople who came
there to be supplied. Well YOU say, that
&as a luxurious enterin ument, and OF
course tie man hud Io auNetN; but | have
to tell you that, though ron had or pro-
pose an entertainment Ike that, you have
anxiety. In the very thing comes lie divine
l.
we serve others "" serve GoJ. HE hush
on that woman ch'ek' rs she oend" over
the not stove If rs sacred III GOD sight
as the hush on NE c9eek OF one Whn' on
not oay, pIeach,s inc DoSpel. we may
serve "o" WIN P'"''' "ha cutlerS' ana
broom as certainty as we can serve nun
win psalm b"oh "hu lll'r2N' h1rs aree'
queen OF Norway and sweden and Den
marx, had royal cup oI ten lips. OH which
were recorded 'he names OF the guests who
had drank 1rom THIS cup. And every
Chrlstan woman mas royal cup on which
are written all me names OF those VINO nave
ever oeen entertained 'y her IN Ohrlstlan
style names ho' cut Dy human ingenuity,
Dut written Dy 'he Land OF dlVlne Jesus
but' my friends you are not 10 loll un-
necessarily ihouSn the lare pe pam,
eheerIui presidency OF the taDle, ana clean
ilness OF appointments VIII be good enough
foE anybody that ever comes to your house.
John howard was invited to the house OF
nopieman. RE sad: u viii come on one
oonql.ion, ana ,nas Is Ina' you nave er, nom
LIZ ;s;t GGc pUuu,OoS ,"n UI;oS III U,;tt ,,n n 10
IHi9ln " Bo; "nS Ioi.tli0u wiz. 0ylus, hins
aser;haa ~ e, thot ~ % o tahIa thara ront l
.S; T',t 'Iae bJ o 'N re o,n sotI .Ine miu'U 20
s ns.rn OIS h,t ti ,h o ;Iiuuiao;;e ene VIZ tu.e
eAiene'' "u' 'neS "io iiiu''i"'i'u' VI 'n'
fact that more depends upon the banquet
ers than upon the banquet. want to lift
this idea Of Christian entertainment out OF
a positive bondage into glorious induce
ment. Every effort you put forth, and